My Generator

[crokett™]

10,000 Watt propane fuel, this is the one I rewired a while back to be manual start.   It ran as recently as 8 weeks ago.  We lost power last night.  After the PoCo's estimate for restoring power went from about a 3 hour outage to 8 hours I decided to start the generator.  As it was both raining and storming I opted to not do much.  Fortunately the 3 hour estimate was the correct one.   The generator won't turn over.   The battery  is on a trickle charger.  The fuel solenoid I can hear click open when I turn it on.  The battery reads 12.35V.  So I don't think it's the battery.  There's a clicking when I try to start the generator, but it's a different click than a dead or low battery. It's louder and all the dead batteries I've experienced either don't do anything or do a few clicks then stop each time you try to start the engine.  This keeps clicking for as long as I try to start the generator.  Right now I'm thinking either starter solenoid, or possibly starter motor.  

Given that it is a small-engine sized battery, is it less risky to try jumping from my Gator than my car? If that does't work,  short the contacts on the starter solenoid or bypass and go directly to the starter?

[TDKPE]

Given that it is a small-engine sized battery, is it less risky to try jumping from my Gator than my car? If that does't work,  short the contacts on the starter solenoid or bypass and go directly to the starter?

I had a Jeep J2000 long ago, which is basically a Gladiator with fancy chrome, and the Kaiser 327 engine would eat solenoids.  It would click ever so nicely, but the contacts just didn't hold up.  It was a real bear to replace, as the engine had to be jacked up to get the starter out.  
 

Anyhoo, I'd probably try just jumping around the solenoid directly, as long as it doesn't mechanically engage the Bendix, like my Jeep did, to see if the starter motor does its thing.  If it does, get a new solenoid.  If it doesn't, get a new starter, or maybe replace the brushes and clean up the commutator yourself.

[Willyou]

Before you do anything else, try removing the battery terminal connectors and clean them thoroughly. Reconnect and see what happens. It could be that that is all it needs.

[lift mechanic]

First thing I would try is to use jumper cables to another battery. If it still "clicks" then it is starter related.

[Stwood_]

Tap the starter body with a hammer as you push the start button.
Sometimes the brushes loose contact with the armature.

That has worked for me a couple of times over the years. Once on a 95 F-150 at a grocery store.....Once on my Kenworth at a Conagra plant sitting at an entrance gate..

[crokett™]

Tap the starter body with a hammer as you push the start button.
Sometimes the brushes loose contact with the armature.

That has worked for me a couple of times over the years. Once on a 95 F-150 at a grocery store.....Once on my Kenworth at a Conagra plant sitting at an entrance gate..

That had occurred to me and I may try that, except I don't want to have to do that when I actually need the generator.  Aside from it needs to work, the starter button I wired in is in the housing on the other side of the generator.

[Roly]

That had occurred to me and I may try that, except I don't want to have to do that when I actually need the generator.  Aside from it needs to work, the starter button I wired in is in the housing on the other side of the generator.

I think the propane units have a electrically operated propane valve that opens when it is starting, could that be what you are hearing and not the starting solenoid.   See if the starter button is actually working and sending voltage to the solenoid.    Roly

[crokett™]

I think the propane units have a electrically operated propane valve that opens when it is starting, could that be what you are hearing and not the starting solenoid.   See if the starter button is actually working and sending voltage to the solenoid.    Roly

The fuel solenoid is wired to a separate switch.  I hear it click on when I turn the switch on before I try to start it.  That is a single click.  What I am hearing when I hit the starter button is a series of clicks. the engine does not turn over.

[R Clark]

Before you do anything else, try removing the battery terminal connectors and clean them thoroughly. Reconnect and see what happens. It could be that that is all it needs.

+1.

I'm firmly in the camp of, "Do the cheapest thing first."

[Stwood_]

That had occurred to me and I may try that, except I don't want to have to do that when I actually need the generator.  Aside from it needs to work, the starter button I wired in is in the housing on the other side of the generator.

Well I realize you wouldn't want to do that every time.
It's just a way to confirm/deny whether the actual starter is the problem. If it does start that way, replace the starter.

I'm a mechanic by my first trade. I test and try, before throwing parts at something.

Have someone hold the start button down while you hit the starter.